A Last Hurrah
by Trish47
Summary: To leave the SVU you have to get canned, be killed, or retire. Luckily for Elliot and Olivia they fall into the last category. A short one-shot with my take on the last scenes of the series. Involves beer and bodily contact. EO friendship. Reviews welcome


A/N: So, as much as I'd love to see Elliot and Olivia get together at the end of the show, I know it's not going to happen. This is something that I think could work within the boundries of their relationship on the show but also include a little EO. I came up with this because I constantly wonder how they are going to end the show if NBC decides to cancel it (sad as that thought might make me). So, I thought I'd share this short one-shot here. Enjoy, and please leave a comment. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own SVU or anything else associated with the show. Those things belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm not making any money by writing this.

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**A Last Hurrah**

Olivia gently placed the last picture frame—the one housing the photo of her and her mother—into the cardboard box and let her eyes sweep over the empty surface of her desk.

It was a strange site. She hadn't seen the desk completely bare since her return from Oregon all those years ago. It was even more disconcerting to think that, within a day or two, the space would be invaded and littered with another detective's personal paraphernalia. Just like Elliot's had been.

She stared at the alien desk across from her and fought against the feeling of loss that rose in the middle of her chest. The morning she had come in and a new detective greeted her from Elliot's chair had really unnerved her, even though she knew her partner was gone.

And now it was her turn to be replaced.

Olivia sighed and secured the lid of the cardboard box.

"Weird, isn't it?"

His voice behind her made her jump. She hadn't seen him enter the squad room or heard him come up behind her; she had been caught up in her thoughts.

Casting a small smile in his direction, she replied, "Yeah, a little."

Olivia turned to face him fully and leaned against the edge of the desk. Her smile grew as she took in his outfit: NYPD baseball cap, light blue Oxford shirt left unbuttoned over a white t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and sandals. She cringed slightly when she saw the socks he had paired with his footwear.

"We really have to talk about your fashion sense now that you don't have to wear suits and ties every day," she told him in a half-joking manner. The other half of her was completely serious.

Elliot gave her a lopsided grin. "What? You don't like my socks?" He wiggled his toes beneath the fabric.

"No," she answered shortly, frowning down at the fashion faux pas.

He laughed but wasn't offended. "Lizzie can't stand them either. She wouldn't let me out of the car when I took her back to Hudson last Sunday."

Olivia shook her head, picturing Lizzie pleading with her father to save her the embarrassment of being seen with an unfashionable dad. "It's bad when your own kids are embarrassed to be seen with you," she said.

"But it's my job now. I have to make up for lost time."

His statement was lighthearted instead of regretful. He'd only been gone for a little over a month, but he was obviously enjoying himself. Her former partner seemed less stressed and somewhat softer now that he wasn't tracking down criminals. Olivia continued to smirk as she considered him for a long moment.

Finally she said, "Retirement seems to be treating you well."

He nodded and folded his arms across his chest, grinning more to himself than at her, but she saw the twinkle in his eyes. "It definitely has its benefits," he said.

The smile remained longer this time. Olivia couldn't help thinking that she really liked seeing him smile like that. She always had, but that expression had remained mostly hidden when they had worked together. She hoped to see more of this happy side in the future.

"So, you're here to…?" Olivia began to ask, leaving the question open.

Elliot was busy surveying the relatively quiet squad room. "I, uh, had to sign some final paperwork," he said in a dismissive voice. "I wanted to see if anyone was up here. I was thinking we could all grab a beer."

"For old time's sake?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Olivia nodded but said, "Munch and Fin are out on a domestic violence call and Cragen's meeting with the Chief of Police so my paperwork can be finalized."

"Oh," was all he said. His smile flattened into a straight line.

"Well, I'm always up for a drink," Olivia continued. "If you're buying that is."

"I've only got a meager pension now, but I think I can afford to buy you a drink," he joked, his happy mood returning. "We'll celebrate your retirement."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm all packed up," she said, tapping the lid of the cardboard box. "Let's go."

Elliot picked up her box of belongings and Olivia grabbed her purse. They strode out of the squad room, side by side, one last time.

***

The bar wasn't overly crowded or obnoxiously loud. Then again, it was only 7PM; most of the patrons were overworked business associates trying to relieve a little workday stress. Sitting at the bar, Elliot—with his ready-for-the-beach outfit—was easily the misfit among all the drab colored business suits. Olivia didn't tease him about it only because he had finally agreed to take off his socks.

Elliot had ordered their drinks and they were now sitting in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company. He took a swig of his beer and looked at his former partner. "So, what's next for you?"

"Actually, I haven't given it much thought." She had enough money put aside to live comfortably for a while, if not longer, though she doubted she'd remain inactive long. She'd get bored. "Maybe take a vacation," she finished lamely.

"It's nice. To just relax, I mean," Elliot said, thinking of all the time he'd been able to spend with his youngest son, Eli.

That line of conversation died away, but Olivia started on another subject before the silence had completely settled between them again.

"Do you think Don is mad at us for leaving around the same time?" she asked. Her captain hadn't been surprised by her announcement when she'd given it to him. She was still impressed that Cragen had stayed on the force long enough to accept her retirement notice, though she felt he'd be leaving soon too.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "I think he knew this day would come sooner or later."

"Much later than he probably thought it would," Olivia said, giving him a pointed look. "You know you could have stopped at twenty years, right?"

"Hey," he said defensively, although he smiled at her, "I had five kids to put through school."

"Excuses, excuses," she replied with an over-dramatic shake of her head.

They were always good at teasing each other.

"Well, you could have retired a while ago," Elliot told her. "No one was stopping you. Unless, of course, you needed the money to support a secret lover in Oregon or something."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, unsure of how to respond to his ridiculous suggestion. "I'm not good with long distance relationships," she stated.

There was a shared, forced laugh between them. Then Olivia said, "No, that's not the reason I stayed."

"Then why'd you stay so long when you could've left?"

"You really think I would've retired before you?" she asked, though her tone made the question sound defensive. "I don't think so."

He took another drink and looked at her, considering how best to coax the real answer out of her. He settled on a head-on approach. "So why'd you choose to retire now?" he asked.

She took another sip of her beer before answering. "I was waiting for you to retire," she said quietly. "I didn't think anyone else would want to work with you," she tacked on, trying to mask her serious answer with a joke. She couldn't tell him that it would have killed her seeing him working with her replacement. It had nearly killed her working with his for a month.

He smiled arrogantly, knowing exactly what she meant from what she _hadn't_ said. Olivia was occupied with smearing the dots of condensation on her bottle and avoiding his eyes. She didn't know how she felt about what she'd just revealed.

He was nearly finished with his second drink before either of them spoke again.

"Hey, Liv?"

"Yeah?" she asked in a gruff voice. She was lost in pleasant memories, thinking of all their years together as partners and as friends.

He put his bottle on the bar and wrapped his arms around her in a sudden, tight hug. He nearly dragged her off the barstool beside him in the process. Olivia returned the embrace, holding her wet bottle away from the back of his shirt as best she could.

"Thanks for waiting for me," he said, still holding her to him.

_I couldn't have done it without you._ His unspoken words passed between their linked bodies and made it difficult for Olivia to swallow the lump in her throat. She squeezed him with more force.

"Took you long enough," she whispered back.

_I wouldn't have lasted this long without you, _her body conveyed to him.

_Thank you for being my partner,_ both silent voices said as they began to release each other.

They pulled away from each other and readjusted themselves on their barstools. Elliot picked up his drink once again. He turned and raised his bottle in her direction, grinning from ear to ear.

"Here's to a great partnership, a lasting friendship, and a fantastic retirement," he proclaimed.

Olivia smiled in return and clinked her bottle against his.

"I'll drink to that."

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A/N: Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think. How do you see the show ending?


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